Happy Jesus' Birthday!

Merry Christmas!
I know this is a little late but I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope everyone enjoyed getting together with family and friends and all the holiday food. Most of all I hope you remembered the real reason for Christmas.

This Christmas I learned something new. Most of us have heard the Christmas story. About Mary being a virgin and then Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem and Jesus being born in a barn and laid in a manger. I was missing all the details though.

The one part I found truely amazing this Christmas was the wise men. There were 2 things I realized:
1. Do you know how long the three wise men to travel to see Jesus? following the north star. 2 years. yes 2 years. Jesus wasn't even conceived at 2 years! That just shows that God had a plan. He is always in control and will guide you through everything.
2. One of the wisemen brought Myrrh. I think this is what they poured over the bodies back then when they were dead. This connects what Jesus came to do for us. He came to die. I thought that was interesting.

I am thankful for all God has given me but especially His son. Because he showed love is why we celebrate the season.

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

putting Christ back in CHRISTmas

I really love this video and I wanted to share it with the one or two people how actually read this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

so true.

We get caught up in all the presents and holiday cooking, do we even remember why we are celebrating the season? Sometimes I really wonder. People have even started lawsuits over the phrase "Merry Christmas". Christ is the reason we celebrate. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have a Christmas. I'm sick of the "Happy Holidays" and I WILL be saying Merry CHRISTmas this season.

Then these are just a few fun videos just to make you laugh. enjoy! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XEzE3mwPr0&feature=related

and if you haven't seen this one yet you are way out of the loop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54yESyq6Io

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93CPo0sBVZc

WANT IT!

Alot of things have been going through my head lately...I have several things to blog about but I just haven't had time to type them out yet. One of the main things I have been thinking about is life and death.

A student here at UTM died about a week and a half ago.
unexpectedly.
Her name was Sadie Cook.

http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=745495&fh_id=12197&s_id=9D7720F3-E0CA-1FE5-EABC65903812A8ED

I didn't know her, but I did have a class with her.
This got me thinking alot just about life in general and why we are here on earth.

We are here to praise God.
plain and simple.
now my questions are:
#1. Do you know God?
#2. Have you accomplished your goal?
So our goal of praising God is never finished. Its a life process but if you died right now, what would God say to you?

The line "if you aren't daily in God's word, there's a LOVE issue" has been on my mind lately. so true. All the people that you love, you talk to on a daily basis, right? We have to WANT God. It begins with that want. There isn't anything anyone else can do. It's between you and God. If you don't want to grow, don't expect others to try to push you along.

It begins with you.
If you want your relationship with God to flourish and develope YOU need to do something about it. Whether its telling a friend to keep you accountable, talking with your pastor or someone you trust, buying a devotional book to help you begin, or just jumping into the Bible. I highly recommend telling someone so they can keep you accountable. It will make a huge difference.

WANT it because this IS why you are on earth. to serve God.

Quotes

F orsaking
A ll
I
T rust
H im -New Christians Survival Guide

"God is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in Him" -John Piper

"Go hard after God" -Lee McBride

"When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future" -Ken Freeman

"You'll never know you need God, until you need God" -Ken Freeman

"Only God deserves to be God of your life" -Vann Kissell

"Build your life on God's promises" -Vann Kissell

"God has the right to make any demands on your life, because He's God" -Vann Kissell

"If we had an explanation for everything in life, we wouldn't need faith" -Vann Kissell

"when we sin we sin specifically, so we need to repent specifically" -Ken Freeman

"Do the next right thing" -some author...I forgot

B-Believers
I-instructions
B-before
L-leaving
E-earth

THE [only] Reason

We talked about this Wednesday night at church and I've been thinking alot about it lately...

The Reason by Hoobastank
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with every day
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

Jesus is our reason. Our reason for everything. This brought to my mind 3 things:
1. As Brother Tony and David said we need to take our sin seriously. Most of us know we sin and we say we are sorry to God but yet we go and do it again. If we were TRUELY sorry, we wouldn't do it again. We have to WANT to be more like Christ and not do that sin again. Take sin seriously. Change. For Him.
2. He loved us enough to die. We have our whole lives to live for Him. Do it.
3. What is the point of life without Christ? (I have really been thinking this over so if you have an answer I would love to know) I really don't understand. God is my reason for life and I know my point in life is to live my life for Him. Praise Him. This is what I think about when making choices in my life. So..if you don't have Christ, what makes you want to live? This should really help motivate us to witness. They NEED Christ and there is no other way.

"The Power of Your Name"

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come here in my heart

And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your name
The power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come, lord, break this heart

And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your name
[ Lincoln Brewster Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
The power of Your name

Jesus, Your name is a shelter for the hurting
Your name is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name can redeem the undeserving
Jesus ,Your name holds everything I need

And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your name

And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your name
The power of Your name
(The power of Your name)
The power of Your name
The power of Your name
The power of Your name
(Jesus, Jesus, the power of Your name)
The power of Your name
(Jesus, Jesus, the power of Your name)

The Power of Your Name by Lincoln Brewster

God the Provider

I recently got back from a missions trip to Guatemala. I went over with a team who had built a church over there last summer. This time when we went over, we dedicated the church they had built and had leadership meetings for the leaders of the church. It was an awesome experience! If you ever have the chance to go on an out of the country missions trip, take advantage of it! It is incredible! We don’t realize how truly blessed we are, until we see the way others live.

Two of my friends, Lia and Edgar, have a ministry over in Guatemala City called Chosen People. Guatemala has the largest garbage dump in Central America. Chosen People distributes food and clothes to the people who live in the garbage dump. For more information and pictures you can visit http://www.chosenpeopleofguatemala.org/Home.html. It was life changing to see how these people lived.

We toured 3 of the 15 communities in the garbage dump. As we toured we saw houses made out of scrap metal, sheets as doors, houses with dirt floors, and smiling children. These little boys and girls were so happy just playing on old broken down bikes and were overjoyed to receive a brand new beanie baby. One family we visit a little boy had been bitten by a rat in his sleep the night before. Here I was worrying about having enough time to straighten my hair and when the next time I was going to have internet. These families were worried about where their next meal was coming from, and if they were going to have enough money to take their son to the hospital so he wouldn’t get rabies.

*WAKEUP CALL*

God has blessed me. I have grown up in the United States and in a Christian family. I have good health and I am going to school. I believe God wanted me on that trip to challenge me. Yes, I saw lots of things I never even imaged. What is the point of seeing all that if you don’t let it change you?

I learned many lessons through this trip. One of the many things God has laid on my heart was how these people trusted in Him. They knew God would provide for them. He would provide their meals and jobs. Yes, we trust God but do we with everything. We don’t know what it’s like to trust God will provide you with a place to live or your next meal. That has been my challenge. Take everything to God. Big or small. He will take good care of you.

Just the Begining

So I'm not much of a writer. I hate writing actually but I thought I would try this whole blogging deal. I was thinking it would help me personally get my thoughts out. So here it goes.

I just read Philippians 1. A few verses really jumped out at me. The first one was 1:16 "They preach because they love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News". God put us all here on earth to defend HIM. How are we spending our time?

The second thing that got me was Philippians 1:29 "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him." wowsers. Who do we think we are? that we even have a right to call upon Jesus' name. But yet he loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. Now we can call upon His holy name. We are PRIVILEGED.

Lastly, Philippians 1:27b "Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News." We need to pull together as believers. Be encouraging one another rather than fighting or gossiping. Dig deep with eachother and there will be a revival.

So putting all three of those points together. We need to quit wasting our time and be out there proclaiming Jesus' name. That is why we are here. He gave us the right to call upon his name so we need to join together as believers and "Go hard after God" as Lee McBride says.

You might be stuck in a hole though. I've been there. Trust me. And God has been teaching me alot lately but the lastest few things he has taught me is:
1. If you aren't daily in His word it's NOT a discipline thing. It isn't because you didn't have time. It's a LOVE issue. (That hit me pretty hard) Discipline will follow the love.
and 2. Sometimes you just don't know where to begin. and on sunday I heard someone say "Just do the next right thing" (Why didn't I think of that) haha